Chapter 2
"A Daring Rescue"
The dining hall was in a state of pandemonium. A haze of floating debris poured into the room and the servants scrambled for their lives for the nearest exits. Yumi leaned over the table, supporting her weight on her palms as she eyed the archway with hawk like vigilance. She scanned through the floating cloud of dust, on the lookout for any signs of movement. Xana also watched the archway carefully, standing tall, but relaxed, his weapon swaying casually at his side. His dark eyes gleamed with the anticipation of battle.
Ulrich had hoped to take this moment to make an escape, but the invisible force had him firmly pinned once more. He struggled weakly against its hold, but there was no getting away, not that it really mattered anyway. He knew his freedom was just on the other side of that archway.
The room had fallen into dead silence. The last of the servants had fled and it was now just the three of them staring intently at the dining hall entrance. Yumi then noticed something, a silhouette in the settling dust. She leaned forward even further and squinted hard into the haze of debris. There was an unmistakable familiarity, the way the head tapered to a point at the top. A flash of gold and purple in the parting dust quickly confirmed her suspicion.
"Laser Arrow!" The figure's voice rang through the hall and at once three golden glints came flying through the archway, soaring directly towards Xana. He swung his blade with inhuman speed, deflecting each projectile as it flickered towards him with flawless accuracy, sending the arrowheads flying harmlessly into the walls. Immediately following the shots, the figure burst through the archway at a flat run, emerging fully into the light of the dining hall. It was a boy no older than 15, clothed in bright purple garments and sporting a purple catlike tail and feline paws for hands. He had long blond hair that tapered to a point at the top of his head with a distinguishing purple streak dotted in the center. He moved at Xana with animal like quickness, his arms extended out at his sides as if to attack. Xana lowered his stance and angled his sword at a tilt, tightening his grip on the hilt. When the boy was almost upon him he unleashed a swift horizontal slash. With seemingly precognitive reflexes the boy sprang upwards, the blade barely missing his nimble form, and he soared high over Xana's head.
Xana would have pursued the purple clad fighter, but not a second later a second figure appeared through the archway, coming at him even faster than the first. From the parting dust a young woman emerged, garbed in pink and yellow attire, wielding a pair of twin daggers long as her forearms. Her bold emerald green eyes flickered with a fierce determination, her light pink hair and tapered ears quickly distinguished her from any ordinary human. She lunged full force at Xana, whirling in midair, her blades whistling from the sheer velocity of her spin. Xana raised his sword in defense and the daggers cut into the jet black steel with an ear piercing screech, sparks raining from the blades as they scraped against one another. The girl landed nimbly at Xana's feet and quickly postured herself in a low crouch, instantly ready for another attack.
The first fighter landed gracefully upon the dining table and aimed a catlike paw straight towards Yumi. He secured his other hand around his wrist and cried, "Flash Arrow!" A silver arrowhead sprang from the base of his glove, heading straight for Yumi. She smiled, undaunted, and raised one hand calmly in front of her. The arrowhead halted in midair, floating only inches from her outstretched palm.
"Nice try."
"Think again." The boy quickly lunged at Ulrich, knocking him back in his chair and throwing both of them against the floor. In the next second the arrowhead exploded in a brilliant flash of light, bathing Yumi in an immense white radiance that filled the entire dining hall. She let out a high pitched shriek and staggered backwards, clutching her face in her hands, completely blinded by the flash.
All at once the force pinning Ulrich to his seat vanished and he found he could move freely once again. He smiled up at the boy on top of him. "Odd, am I glad to see you."
"Didn't think we'd just abandon you, did you? Here, take this. You're gonna need it." Odd wasted no time in unfastening a familiar brown and black sheath from off his back and offered it to Ulrich.
"My sword!" Ulrich could barely contain his excitement as he took hold of his old weapon. He couldn't believe how good it felt to hold it in his hands again.
"Good as ever. Now c'mon, let's get you out of here." Odd leapt to his feet and quickly scanned the room. Yumi was still incapacitated from his attack and Aelita was doing her part in keeping Xana thoroughly occupied. "Follow me!" He motioned to Ulrich who was quickly fastening his sword to his belt. The brunette tore off his jacket and removed the blade from its sheath, giving a quick nod in response.
The two warriors made their escape through the open archway, but their movement did not go unnoticed. Xana eyed the pair carefully as he fought against the pink haired warrior. He knew well that the young woman was only a distraction to allow the other to free Ulrich, but he didn't care. For now, he would have fun with this fighter. They were not getting away anyway.
Odd tapped a small device fixed to his ear as he and Ulrich fled the dining hall. "Odd to Hunter. I've retrieved Ulrich without a hitch. How are things looking down in your area?"
A tinny voice responded over a speaker in the tiny device. "It's all clear down here. No monsters far as I can tell. William and I will hold our positions and try to keep the area clear until you arrive."
"Roger that. Odd out."
Ulrich and Odd passed beneath the archway and into the adjacent corridor. At the opposite end of the hall a girl was waiting for them, keeping an open vigil of the next corridor. She was dressed in a rugged looking outfit, a worn brown leather jacket with a green tank top underneath and a pair of faded green jeans secured at the waist by a black sash. Her amber colored eyes flashed with annoyance as she spotted the two boys approaching.
"Whose the girl?" Ulrich inquired as the two raced down the length of the hall.
"Oh, that's Marylyn, a real fiery one. She joined up not long after you were kidnapped. She's good. Trust me."
The two reached the end of the corridor and Odd peered around the next archway. Ulrich noticed the girl was studying him critically.
"Well, well, so this is the oh so famous Ulrich Stern I've heard so much about. Certainly don't look like much to me."
Ulrich was taken aback by the girls blatant antagonism. Yeah, nice to meet you too. He thought cynically. He turned his attention back to Odd who had just pulled his head from back from around the corner with an uneasy look on his face.
"Guys, don't look now, but we've got company." Odd motioned for the others to glance around the corner. The two peered into the passage and shared identical looks of apprehension. Moving towards them was a swarm of flying creatures that could only be described as horribly mutated hornets, each bearing the eye of Lyoko on their heads and weilding a mechanical laser cannon mounted on their abdomens.
"Hornets. Nothing we can't handle," Marylyn said casually. From her sash she removed a pair of folded Japanese style fans… they bore a strange resemblance to Yumi's old fans, Ulrich thought to himself. With a quick flick of her wrists, the fans sprang open to reveal the intricate designs that Ulrich recognized from so many battles before.
Those are Yumi's old fans. How the hell did this girl wind up with them?
"Shield!" Odd raised his left hand in front of him and a purple, disk shaped energy shield projected from his glove. "Let's make this as quick as possible. The effects of my flash arrows won't last long and Yumi's going to be pissed at us when she recovers."
"You don't have to tell me." Ulrich raced ahead of the others and leapt high into the air, straight at one of the incoming monsters. "Impact!" He stabbed the creature in the head with the tip of his blade and promptly dismounted as it exploded in a spray of thick green fluids and entrails and mechanical shrapnel. "Impact… Impact…" He leapt from monster to monster, driving his sword into their skulls one after another. Others began to open fire on him, shooting crimson lasers from their cannons. He avoided their laser fire with a skillful combination of dodges and blocks with his blade, taking out more and more of them in the process, all the while his feet never once touching the ground.
"Whoa, now I'm impressed." Marylyn grinned in admiration at Ulrich's keen swordsmanship. She then rushed forward herself and tossed both her fans into the swarm of Hornets with skillful precision. They moved in a wide arc, slicing through several of the flying creatures before returning to their master.
"Man, if they keep this up there won't be anything left for me," Odd quipped with a wide grin. He cocked the base of his glove for reassurance and then rushed forward to join his comrades in battle.
The fight between Aelita and Xana was not looking good for the pink haired warrior. It was all she could do to keep up with the man's incredible speed and power. His abilities were far beyond a normal human's, even a well trained Lyoko warrior. Aelita focused everything she had into her assault, moving with lightning quickness and attacking her adversary in rapid bursts, her daggers mere blurs to the naked eye, but Xana blocked each and every strike with flawless precision, commanding his blade effortlessly against her ferocious assault.
"You make quite a good diversion my dear Aelita," Xana said in a silky tone. "Not many fighters have the skill to stand up to my blade."
Aelita ignored the man's remark and leapt forward with another fierce slash. Xana casually raised his sword and blocked the strike like it was nothing, and with an effortless flick of his blade sent Aelita skidding back several feet along the smooth marble floor.
"Your moves are well practiced, but they lack power. If you hope for any chance of defeating me you will have to fight a lot harder than you are now." Xana stepped forward and swung his saber with blazing speed. Aelita only just barely escaped the blade's edge, the razor point cutting through the fabric of her uniform just beneath her ribs.
Xana then dropped his guard completely, standing perfectly relaxed, letting his blade dangle leisurely at his side. He smiled humerously, mockingly, silently daring her to attack him undefended. Aelita quickly formulated a strategy in her mind. She knew it was a lure, but Xana's cockiness left her an irresistible opening, and she fully intended to exploit it. She darted forward, focusing on speed over power. If she did this right, Xana wouldn't know what hit him. he didn't even flinch as the distance between the two of them closed in blink of an eye. Aelita held her breath as she closed in on her target, positioning her daggers for their ultimate strike. She narrowed her sights just between those dark eyes and prepared herself to deal the critical blow.
She never saw the blade swoop past, only hearing the metallic clatter of her daggers as they skittered across the floor, far out of reach. Xana had suddenly disappeared from her path, and Aelita felt the looming presence at her backside. Her body twisted reflexively, but her own momentum made the movement awkward poorly coordinated, and she only just caught a glimpse of a soaring fist before it sank deep into her midsection, sending a shockwave of pain tearing through her body. She was sent hurtling across the room like a human bullet, her body slamming against the far wall, the stone splintering beneath the tremendous impact. She fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, her insides on fire.
Xana approached the fallen fighter with slow, even steps, looming over her struggling form as the girl fought to push herself to her feet, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled for air. "It's over Aelita. You're clearly no match for me. Such a shame too. So much potential. You should have joined me when you had the chance."
Aelita managed to bring herself to her knees, spat out a crimson stream onto the floor, and turned a loathing glare onto the unnaturally handsome face smiling back at her. Her voice came out a hoarse rasp. "I'd rather die."
"So be it." Xana reared his black saber, setting his sights on the girl's slender throat. Within the dark eyes flared a bloody crimson mark as the blade reached its apex, ready to begin its descent in what would be the final death blow.
It was at that moment Aelita saw her chance. She closed her eyes and in a swift motion thrust both her hand forwards, letting out a sharp cry. The wall behind her surged outwards, a large spire lancing out from the stone above her head and stretching towards the man, embedding itself deep into his chest. Xana seemed more surprised by the attack than injured, gazing down at the stone spike now impaling his chest without the slightest hint of pain or concern. No blood came from the freshly made wound. Aelita took this chance to leap to her feet and make a mad dash for the open archway.
Xana calmly snapped the end of the spire from the wall with one hand and dislodged the stone barb from his chest, the gaping hole shrinking to nothing, clothing and flesh alike mending in a cloud of black vapor until no signs of the wound remained. He turned to the archway where his quarry had just fled, his irises returing to rings of black on black. "Go ahead and run my little Aelita. The chase only makes it all the more fun." With that he exploded into a cloud of thick black vapor. The dark tendril of smoke shot up towards the ceiling, pressing against the stone like gale wind and vanishing completely between the cracks.
Aelita halted as soon as she was in the adjacent corridor and turned around to face the high archway. I'll have to do everything I can to buy the others some extra time. Yumi and Xana will do everything they can to stop us. She closed her eyes and extended her hands towards the archway, her face contorting into an expression of intense concentration. The ground beneath her began to vibrate and a stone wall rose up slowly up from the floor. Aelita strained to retain her focus, willing the wall to climb higher until it had completely sealed off the archway. She slumped forward as her task was completed, breathing heavily, perspiration dotting her brow. she could hardly stand, bracing herself against her knees as she gasped for air. Creating matter took a lot out of her, especially outside of Lyoko. She willed strength to return to her drained muscles. This was no time for breaks. She had to move quickly to catch up with the others. They were going to need her help, she was sure of it. She calmed her breathing and stood herself erect, taking in one more deep revitalizing breath, and sprang forward into a rapid sprint, retracing the steps of her comrades through the maze of corridors ahead.
Yumi's sight was beginning to return to her. The white haze that had obscured her vision was now slowly lifting and she could just begin to make out vague details of the dining hall. She rubbed her eyes fiercely and blinked a few times, shaking off the remaining haze. The room was completely empty now. She could see that the dining hall entrance was now blocked off by a large stone wall. She let out a fierce cry and slammed her open palm against the dining table, her fingers drilling deep into the solid wood. With superhuman strength she hoisted the table over her head and hurled it against the newly formed wall. It exploded against the stone with a deafening crack and fell to splinters onto the floor. The impotent effect of the shattered table only managed to further fuel her rage and her second shriek shook the very walls around her as waves of power radiated from her body, a field of energy that warped the light around her like the rippling waves of heat. She marched purposefully towards the sealed archway, hands clenched into tight fists, her face contorted in murderous rage. As she drew near the barrier the stone began to crack and buckle violently as if it were being crushed by some phenomenal weight. When Yumi was only inches from it it finally gave way with a thunderous explosion. She continued her march through the gaping hole in the now devastated barrier.
"When I get my hands on them, I'm going to kill them. I'll send the whole fucking ceiling down on their heads if I have to."
Odd, Ulrich and Marylyn raced through the palace fortress at top speed. Monsters popped up left and right to hinder their progress, but they were quickly dealt with by swift attacks unleashed by the three skilled warriors.
"This is almost too easy," Marylyn commented as she blocked several lasers and tossed out one of her fans. "These monsters are pushovers. Doesn't Yumi have anything stronger than these pathetic creatures."
"Don't jinx out luck Marylyn. We're not in the clear yet." Odd chided. He tapped the device on his ear and spoke again. "Odd to Hunter, we're nearing your position. How are things looking down there."
"Things are getting a little hectic here." the voice responded. "We've got Hornets and Kankrelats coming in on all sides. It's nothing we can't handle for now, but you better hurry. We won't be able to hold our position for long."
"Roger that. We're on out way. Odd out." Odd tapped the device again and turned to his comrades. "Let's pick up the pace people. Things aren't looking too good for our friends up ahead and it looks like they're going to need our help, stat."
Ulrich and Marylyn shouted their affirmations and the three immediately quickened their paces. They did their best to dodge the laser fire from the monsters that appeared, attacking only if their way was blocked or if the laser fire was becoming too heavy to dodge effectively. The numbers of monsters were beginning to thicken and the warriors were finding it more and more difficult to progress through the palace. They eventually found themselves in a lengthy gallery, lined on both sides with rows of Roman style pillars and statuaries. They were being trailed from behind by a thick swarm of monsters, doing their best to shake off the hail of laser fire.
"How much farther till we reach the others," Ulrich shouted to Odd.
"Just beyond this room."
As the group neared the end of the gallery two giant stone blocks suddenly materialized out of thin air, solidifying right in front of the gallery exit and blocking off their escape route. Several spider like legs sprouted from their undersides and a silver eye like symbol emerged from in the center of each of their four sides. The creatures immediately opened fire from these symbols on the three warriors.
"Shit! Looks like our luck just ran out," Odd remarked. "We'd better head for cover, pronto."
The three dove for the cover of the pillars as the trailing swarm accompanied the living cubes with a hail of laser fire. Ulrich and Marylyn scrambled to one side of the room while Odd raced to the other. The monsters closed in and began to fire upon the pillars. The block monsters remained in front of the gallery entrance, blocking off any chance of escape.
"Damn it! We're going to have to take out those Blocks if we want any hope of getting out of here," Ulrich shouted over the sounds of laser fire.
"No problem," came Marylyn's smug reply. She peeked out from behind her pillar and tossed a fan at one of the block monsters. It flew towards it's target with pinpoint accuracy, but was deflected suddenly by an invisible force, producing a visible rippling effect at the point of impact, and was sent flying towards the ceiling.
"Damn it," Marylyn spat, "the son of a bitch has a force field."
"One of Xana's upgrades," Ulrich muttered to himself. "This is not looking good."
"Guys, I hate to be the voice of burden," Odd shouted from across the room, "but it's beginning to get very crowded in here."
Indeed, more monsters were entering the gallery now from the entrance at the opposite end and the room was fast becoming filled by the swarm.
Ulrich gripped his sword tightly and let out an exasperated sigh. "Geez, some rescue this turned out to be."